Why Was Joey Bada$$ Rapping About "Norwegian Breakfast?"

The story behind this epicurean mixtape cut. Last week, Joey Bada$$ dropped a new song called "Norwegian Breakfast." The song was released on Johnny Shipes'.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Last week, Joey Bada$$ dropped a new song called "Norwegian Breakfast." The song was released on Johnny Shipes' OIL:710 project. The title is certainly interesting, especially because there aren't any references to Norwegian cuisine in the song. In fact, the only reference that comes close to that is when Joey says "I swear I hate predicting s**t/She said it taste magnificent/Sour like piff but sweet like black licorice." Norway is known for its licorice. Albeit, in this scenario, Joey is comparing the licorice to his dick.

According to the producer of "Norwegian Breakfast," Bagir Ba, Joey received the beat on July 2, and had written the verses during his trip to Norway. Joey and his Pro Era brethren had landed in Norway on July 2, and promptly had their taste of a "Norwegian Breakfast:"

Apparently, Joey and his friends were less than thrilled with the food, which explains why he couldn't even refer to a single dish in the new song. (However, that doesn't explain why the plate in Joey's Instagram video is empty.)

It's possible that Joey recorded the song in Norway itself, possibly even that day. Regardless, after a couple of days in Norway, Joey started to tour the rest of Europe, and it appears he was in London by July 7. (His tour DJ, Statik Selektah, tweeted from London on that day.) July 7 is not only Bagir Ba's birthday, but was also the birthday of the late Capital STEEZ. Joey had dropped "King Steelo" on that day, but it's possible that the birthday of one of his closest friends inspired him to get into a studio and record this new track. Or maybe Joey waited a day or two to record it. With OIL: 710 coming out on July 10, Joey must have finished recording the song by this point.

So now we know where Joey was and how the song came together. But what exactly is a "Norwegian Breakfast?" What was Joey eating on the 2nd?

While the answer to the second question is difficult to determine (again: the near-empty plate.) The first question is fairly simple enough to answer. Traditional breakfast dishes in Norway include:

  • Norsk Skinke - Norwegian ham, thinly sliced.
  • Ansjos - Whole brisling (a small type of herring fish) in wine sauce.
  • Jarlsberg Cheese - Norwegians have an abundant variety of cheese. Jarlsburg, developed in the 1850s by dairy industry pioneer Anders Larsen Bakke, is probably the most famous. It tastes like Swiss cheese.
  • Gjetost - A rich blend of caramel (yes, caramel!) and cheese.

Very different than a bowl of Cap'n Crunch or an Egg McMuffin, to be sure. But hey, who are we to yuck Norwegians's yum?  

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